


In the Woods Somewhere

by MariachiMermaid



Category: Haikyuu!!, ハイパープロジェクション演劇「ハイキュー!!」| Hyper Projection Play "Haikyuu!!" RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fae, Angst, Child Abuse, Fae & Fairies, Fae!Tsukishima Kei, Feelings Realization, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Human!Yamaguchi Tadashi, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, It's super mild tho, Kags and Hinata are only kinda there, Like She's Not Even Named In here, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Tanaka Saeko/Tsukishima Akiteru, Not Beta Read, Not Canon Compliant, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Slow Burn, Strangers to Lovers, Tadashi's dad sucks, Time Skips, Tsukishima Kei is a Good Friend, we die like Daichi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-15 13:21:29
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 14,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28939170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MariachiMermaid/pseuds/MariachiMermaid
Summary: A human boy with spots like a fawn and a faerie boy with a face like the moon met in a world that pits them against each other. Complete strangers from different worlds become the closest of friends, and with time maybe something more. Will they manage to stay at each other's sides, or will reality tear them apart?Alternatively: I really wanted to write a slow burn with faerie Tsukishima, because fae Tsukki makes serotonin go brrrr.I'll update the tags as I go because they will contain spoilers. Chapter updates will be weekly on Saturdays.
Relationships: Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 24
Kudos: 42





	1. A Chance Meeting with a Strange Human

**Author's Note:**

> Awww Shit, here we go again! I just really loved the concept of fae Tsukishima and what was supposed to be a one-shot turned itself into something way, waaay, longer. The POV will alternate by chapter between Tsukishima and Yamaguchi, with this chapter being in Tsukishima's POV. I'm always happy to hear suggestions, feedback, and theories no matter how mundane and will do my best to respond. Enjoy the ride!

When he first saw him, Kei had almost taken the boy to be a deer spirit, wide-eyed and swift with tanned skin dusted with spots. But no, none of the fair folk made such a racket when they ran through the woods, and even the dullest of the deer spirits knew to avoid human territory, where deer and fae alike were oft hunted. The not-quite deer spirit must've been a human then, and a relatively young one, as he looked to be about Kei's age. What was a young human doing this far into the forest? While still technically in the human kingdom, Kei knew that only adult hunters, mostly stupid ones, ever ventured this close to the border.

If the human knew how far he was from any villages, he clearly did not care, as he continued to bolt through the forest. Intrigued and looking for an easy target to test new forms of trickery on, the young fae followed.

The boy, the human one, not Kei, stumbled over every root, stone, and twig that he came across, sometimes falling onto the ground and dirtying his already worn and ragged clothes. It was after the third fall that Kei figured out what the human boy was running from. Or, more accurately, who. 

A triad of other human children were chasing Kei's potential target. The children, presumably in the same age range as the boy they were chasing, carried crude weapons and hollered with glee when they spotted the scared boy on the ground. The frightened one got up and ran again, but now that he was in the sight of the others, he was at a clear disadvantage. A squat, red-faced boy with a slingshot sent volley after volley of projectiles at the olive-haired child, causing him to stumble even more.

Normally, Kei would leave at the first sign of humans fighting, he knew well enough that harming each other was just what humans did, but he had never seen human children chase each other. In fact, he had never seen human children at all, for they did not often enter far into the forest, and Kei, being a child himself, wasn't supposed to leave the faerie kingdom borders. If the boys continued the way they were now, though, Kei wouldn't have to worry about getting scolded for sneaking out into the human lands.

As the children ran further into the forest, getting close to the kingdom of the fae with each step, Kei felt the subtle shift in the forest's magic. Even now, the trees grew greener and taller; if the human boys weren't careful, they could easily get lost. Oh, how Kei hoped one of the boys would get separated and lost, he had never tricked a human before, but his brother made it sound fun. They did not separate though, the pursuers stayed in their clump of three, and the freckled one never ran fast enough to put much distance between him and his tormentors, who were now flinging insults as well as stones. 

Kei wondered how far the children would venture into his peoples' lands for the sake of the chase. He also wondered if they even knew how close they were to the faerie kingdom. He didn't have to wait long for the children to realize where they were, though, not when the fleeing child stumbled upon the mushroom ring denoting the kingdom borders. For how foolish this child must have been, running into the forest and actively considering entering the faerie kingdom, he seemed to at least know that to step foot in the fae circle would be a veritable death sentence. Kei watched in fascination as the now crying boy halted dead in his tracks, nervously glancing back and forth between the children running him down and the mushroom ring before him. The deer-like boy edged slowly around the circle, taking great care to avoid snapping any mushroom stems or those of the other surrounding plant life. The boy even apologized quietly when he accidentally flipped a stick onto one of the mushroom caps and stopped to remove it.

The other human boys were not nearly as smart. The time the boy had taken to carefully go around the circle had allowed his hunters to catch up with him. Kei stared in quiet fascination from his hiding spot as they closed in on the child. The two lackeys, the slingshot and ax-wielders, paled and slowed their approach at the sight of a faerie ring. The apparent leader of the chase, a tall child with a poorly made wooden sword, continued charging forward and, in his human stupidity and hubris, not only entered the ring but broke many of the mushrooms that made it.

Kei's blood boiled with the righteous rage of a fairy wronged, and within an instant, made himself visible within the ring. Now Kei stood in the middle of the four human children. Himself and the insolent boy in the ring, the crying boy on one side, and the other two on the human side of the border. Kei had not intended to protect the human child; he was perfectly content to wait and pick one off himself, but the sword-wielding child had committed a great disgrace by entering and breaking the ring, and Kei would not let it go unpunished.

"What. Are. You. Doing?" Kei growled out, standing to his full height and allowing the glamour to fade away, showing his true appearance.

The offending child, either overly confident or insanely stupid, spoke, "I'm chasing down this ugly freak," he gestured to the boy with the smattering of fawn spots, "now move so I can kick his stupid freckly face into the dirt or I'll ram you through with my sword." The boy brandished his crude wooden sword for effect.

Needless to say, Kei was not pleased with this answer. "Pathetic humans, you know not who you speak to," mirth filled Kei's voice as he spoke, he had already memorized the faces of the children who had wronged him, and they would suffer for their insolence. Two of the weapon-wielding children did not stick around to hear what else Kei might have to say, and the scampered off, no doubt back to their pathetic human town, leaving the now shocked sword boy and the other one.

"Wuh- huh. Y-You can't do anything to me! I-I'll gather up a hunting party, and we'll wipe your stupid kingdom off the map!" The boy looked for reassurance from his cronies, but they were long gone, leaving him with no backup. Upon this realization, the rude child turned and fled, shouting empty threats and profanities.

Kei sized up the last boy. This one hadn't done anything wrong, so there was no reason to harm him. As much as he had originally wanted to mess with a weak human, the pathetic and fearful expression roused pity in Kei's heart; he looked far too much like an innocent fawn. He would let this one go and curse the other boys from home, just this once. Kei gave one last glance at the quivering boy lying on the ground before him. Wide, brown doe eyes full of tears stared back at Kei. With a derisive snort, he vanished from human sight and went home, content to curse the three chasers never think of the other human boy again.

The human, however, seemed to want Kei to think about him because the next day, while Kei was reveling in the brilliance of the curse he set upon the hubristic boys, the polite human came up to the broken fairy circle. He walked slower this time, quiet and cautious in a way that reminded Kei even more of a baby deer than the previous day had. The human boy was clutching something in his shaking hands. A jar. It was hard to make out its contents, and Kei wondered what the human was doing here and why he brought a jar with him.

It did not take long to figure out. As the human reached the now broken ring, he uncapped the jar, and a delicious scent wafted through the air. It was a jar of honey, that was for sure, but the slight spice to the smell informed Kei that someone had mixed hawthorn sap in with the golden liquid. Clever indeed. This boy, or perhaps someone in his family, sure knew how to appease the fae folk.

Kei expected the boy to set his offering down and leave; he certainly would've accepted it as an apology for leading those horrid human boys to the ring. Instead, though, the human dipped one of his fingers in the honey-sap mixture and dabbed it on one of the broken mushroom stalks. He then found its matching cap and, using the honey as glue, secured them together. Kei watched in fascination as the honey glowed pale gold and then slowly healed the break in the mushroom stem. The boy released a massive sigh at the sight of the healed mushroom and got to work methodically fixing the others too. When he completed this task, Kei took it upon himself to appear. After all, taking the time to patch up the mushrooms in a fae ring, let alone knowing how to, was a strange thing for a human to do.

The human startled and stared at Kei with those wide brown eyes, mouth agape. He trembled, backed away from the ring, and held out the jar of hawthorn-sap honey at an arm's length, releasing a shaky breath as Kei took the offering from his surprisingly clean hands. The human stared, perhaps in awe, as Kei stuck his little finger in the sticky liquid and then brought it to his mouth, taste testing it. The honey itself was of fair quality, and he could taste the telltale bitter aftertaste of hawthorn sap. Kei could also sense the magic imbued in the mixture, combine that with the hawthorn sap and Kei realized that, while delicious, this honey could be used as a healing balm. He hummed in thought, trying to place where a human child would learn the magic needed to make this.

The until-now quiet boy jolted at Kei's hum and began sheepishly speaking, "Ah... Uhm... Than-" He stopped, realizing just in the nick of time that he shouldn't say 'thank you' to one of the fair folk. "Uh, I mean... I, uh, appreciate the mercy you showed to me yesterday."

This admission prompted Kei to speak, if only to clear the record, "I did not do that for you, do not think my people will favor you in any way." It was best to clear things up with the human now; they took any perceived kindness as an oath of friendship, naive fools.

"I-I know, that is why I brought the honey. It has minor healing properties, so it should fix the mushrooms. I have done this to atone for leading people to your ring. My-my apologies," the boy rushed out.

This one was smart. Kei knew that humans taught each other how to avoid offending his people, but he had not known they learned so young. Perhaps humans were smarter than he thought. Then again, the honey and clever understanding of faerie customs indicated that this one was just strange. It made Kei want to try something out, though; he wanted this human's name. Mostly to be like his brother, who beguiled the name out of a warrior-woman-in-training the next town over. Regardless, this seemed like an interesting human to hold power over. Maybe he could make him bring more honey.

"I accept your atonement, human. Might I have the name of you who offers me penance?" Kei held his hand out with the question, ready to entrap the boy and see for himself just how it felt to possess such complete power over another being.

The human boy looked at him in, fear flashing through his eyes, and sharply inhaled. "I- well, Uhm... you may not have my name, but if you wish for something to call me by, I will respond to Yama as I would with any friend," the boy stated with nervous determination.

Kei huffed in annoyance; he should have known the boy would know how to bypass his request without offending him. And now he thought Kei wanted to be friends too, just wonderful. He grumbled at the foiling of his attempts to possess the boy's name, and, unwilling to continue the conversation, disappeared back home. Stupid human, not falling for his trap. Well, at least he got honey out of it.


	2. A Chance Meeting With an Incredible Fae

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yamaguchi's POV here we go!! If anyone wanted an age reference, both Yama and Tsukki are about 8 at this point. Also, just so you guys know, I'm in the process of getting a new computer so next week's update may be a little late depending on how the data transfer goes. Anyway, enjoy the new chap!

The first time Tadashi saw his fae savior, it was through eyes wet with desperate, unshed tears. The blurry figure was tall, especially from Tadashi's angle on the ground, and hair formed a halo around the fae's head, pale and golden like the moon in winter. Those were the only features he could remember from the initial encounter, and while he knew he shouldn't, Tadashi wanted to see the fae again, if only to have a clear view of his savior. It was a good thing then, that Tadashi would have to return to the ring with payment for the unwilling assistance from the fae.

In all honesty, as much as he hoped he would, Tadashi hadn't expected to see the fae again. He was mostly trying to prevent his family from being cursed due to his foolishness. But the moon-like faerie did appear, and Tadashi couldn't help but stare. He looked too ethereal to be human, with high cheekbones, long pointed ears, flax-golden eyes, and strange black patterns that spiraled around his eyes and wrapped back to his golden hair. Tadashi couldn't fathom why everyone else from the village described the fair folk as horrifying creatures, horrifyingly pretty maybe. Then the fae sneered at Tadashi, and he saw the needle-sharp teeth and claw-like nails that the being possessed. More than that, though, the faerie exuded a sense of dangerous power that made the hair at the nape of Tadashi’s neck stand up. 

Filled with dread and excitement, Tadashi stuttered through formalities, careful to not anger the faerie. The conversation made him thankful for his father, who, although bitter, was sure to teach Tadashi the proper way to speak with the fair folk.

As he tentatively conversed with the magical being, Tadashi relaxed. The fae seemed somewhat impressed by Tadashi's politeness, and the subtle shift in his stance meant he was no longer hostile. When the faerie asked for his name, Tadashi was not scared, though he knew he should have been. Although he knew it was a foolish endeavor, Tadashi couldn't help but to try and befriend the fae before him. After all, it couldn't be any worse than back in the village. The fae left soon after that, but he did not outright deny Tadashi, which he took as a success.

Still shaky with nerves, he sat down in front of the faerie ring to process the conversation he just had. Fae were odd creatures, he decided, but not as scary as the village elders claimed them to be. After all, this one had not hurt him, even though he could have. Maybe if Tadashi continued to be kind and polite to the fae, he would gain a friend.

With hope in his heart and a new spring in his step, Tadashi headed back home. There, waiting for him, was his father. He looked surprised to see Tadashi back from the forest, and for a second, something akin to longing flashed in his eyes, but only for a second.

In a calm tone that left no room for anything but the truth, Tadashi's father spoke. "Well, did you fix the faerie ring?"

"I did, father! And the faerie even showed up and talked with me! He was really cool!" Tadashi rocked back and forth on his heels and beamed with pride, thoroughly convinced that conversing with one of the fair folk would impress his father.

The man, however, quickly lost his calm expression and let his face twist into a configuration of rage and concern. "What did you say to the faerie, boy? You better have not offended it. Don't you know that talking with the fae is a death sentence? Are you daft, child?"

Tadashi recoiled at his father's outburst and bit his lip to prevent the rapidly welling tears from cascading down his face as they often did. " I made sure to not make him mad, father. Promise! I followed all the rules you told me... and... and he even took the honey and said I did good to ask for forgiveness. He wasn't even that mad." 

Tadashi's attempt to soothe his father's nerves seemed to work, as the older man relaxed his shoulders and unclenched his fists. "Alright then, I'll have to take your word for it. And this fae, you didn't give it your name, did you?"

"Nope! Not at all, father," Tadashi paused for a second, debating whether he should tell his father that the faerie tried to take his name. "He didn't even ask for my name, so I must be extra forgiven, right?" Tadashi felt bad about lying to his father, but if the man knew that a faerie had tried to take his son's name, Tadashi would never be let outside the village again. And Tadashi really wanted to visit the fae boy again.

Tadashi's father nodded sagely, "Good. Remember to never give one of those faerie hellions your name. Your fool of a mother made that mistake, and look where that got her."

Tadashi couldn't actually look at his mother, of course. He had never met her. But he had heard plenty of stories about how she had wandered into the forest when Tadashi was a child, only to come back entirely different. The pleasant baker woman down the road had once told Tadashi that when his mother returned from the forest, the soul was gone from her eyes. The village called her one of the nameless, someone who had been tricked into handing their name over to a fae being. All of the nameless were burned alive and driven through with an iron pike in order to prevent the faeries from using them as vassals.

Tadashi did not enjoy the constant reminders and comparisons to his mother that people threw at him. Most didn't say anything to him or his father, but Tadashi was good at staying out of sight and listening, and he knew what the village really thought of him. Some claimed that his mother was a broken woman who hated the thought of children; that she purposely gave her name to one of the fae, knowing it would be her death. Others would say that she was secretly in love with one of the fair folk and that Tadashi himself was half-fae, a result of his mother's unfaithful tryst. That particular rumour was the favourite of Tadashi's tormentors, who liked to use his freckles as evidence, claiming they were lesser versions of the facial markings commonly found on the fair folk.

Tadashi was sure that his father heard the rumours too, as the apothecary had lost business after his mother's death. Sometimes Tadashi thought the gossipers might be right with their labeling him as a bastard fae child, for why else would his father treat him with such cold disdain? Still though, whenever he asked, Tadashi's father would vehemently insist that his mother had simply gone looking for herbs and was tricked. It was a comforting notion, but Tadashi still couldn't help but feel that he had somehow driven his mother away as a child.

His father's voice pulled Tadashi out of his contemplation, and he dutifully followed back to the apothecary. The rest of the day continued on normally, with Tadashi tending to the herb garden and helping his father with minor tasks. Tadashi went to bed that night feeling happier than he could ever remember being. He had only seen the magnificent faerie boy twice, but they were going to be best friends, he could just feel it.

Laying in bed, Tadashi watched the moon and thought of his savior and when he would meet him next. Counting the stars and staring at the moon, Tadashi felt as if his luck was going to change. When he finally fell asleep Tadashi dreamed of the moon and the pale face that had brought him hope.


	3. You Can Stick Around, I Guess

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! My new computer still isn't in, so I'm posting this from my phone. Sorry if something went wrong with the formatting, I'll try to fix it once everything comes in. Other than that, enjoy the new chapter, and feel free to leave comments!

The human boy kept returning. He would show up to the faerie ring day after day after day after day. The boy, Yama, brought gifts with him on most visits, sometimes small honey pots, other times a basket of wild strawberries. Kei vehemently refused to show Yama that he liked the presents. He refused to show Yama anything at all, including himself. Kei may have been watching this Yama boy, but there was no way he would ever let the human know that.

It took well over two months of Yama's visits for Kei to show himself again. Two months of small but sweet gifts, two months of hiding in the trees, and listening to Yama talk about his day in the human village. It took two months for Kei to realize that Yama was not going to give up on the whole friendship endeavor.

When Kei finally showed up in person to accept the gifts that Yama brought him, the human boy gaped at him, slack-jawed and with wide eyes full of wonder. It was stupid for the boy to be surprised, Kei thought. After all, what kind of fool brought treats to someone without expecting them to show up. Apparently, that exact kind of fool was standing in front of Kei and holding a small strawberry tart. Kei arched a brow and held out his hand expectantly, motioning with his fingers when the human was too slow in handing over the snack. "I have… taken notice of your persistence," Kei commented before taking a bite of the treat.

Yama nodded fervently, "I'm glad, Tsukki-san I-" The boy abruptly stopped, blushed a delightful red, not unlike the strawberries, and buried his face in his hands.

Kei, even with all his fae training in trickery, could not stop his heart from racing and his body from flinching at the nickname. It was too close to his family name. How did this human know his name? Or at least part of it. Names had power; if this mortal boy had somehow gotten hold of Kei's name, he was done for. Still, he forced himself to remain calm. Clearing his throat and shooting Yama a death glare, Kei made sure to speak slowly, as to not show his nerves, "What did you just call me, human?"

Yama trembled like an aspen in the wind and fidgeted with the hem of his well-worn shirt. "I-I uh... I called you, uh... Uhm... I called you Tsukki. Uhm! Be-because, you... Uhm... you look like the moon?" Strangely enough, despite his shaking, Yama did not look afraid. There was no fear in the human's eyes nor on his face. Nervousness, perhaps. Mortification, definitely. But not fear. How peculiar. Despite the lack of fear shown by Yama, Kei internally sighed in relief. It was nothing more than a stupid nickname. An extremely coincidental nickname, but nothing that would give the human any power over Kei. He gave Yama an appraising glance, debating if he should let the boy call him Tsukki. On one hand, allowing the nickname would imply some sort of camaraderie, which Kei had no interest in. On the other hand, if Kei told Yama to not call him by the nickname, there was no doubt that the human boy would pester him endlessly until Kei gave him a replacement. Clearly, one option was far more work than the other.

"I suppose that is an appropriate enough thing to call me since you are so insistent on it," Kei said, with as much feigned indifference as he could muster.

Immediately, Yama's face lit up. His mouth split into a delightfully innocent smile, not that Kei would admit it. With much more vigor than in any of the previous times, in which Kei had not made his presence known, Yama launched into a mundane but joyful recollection of his day. Kei, placated from the strawberry dessert, sat down and, for the first time, truly listened. Yama's life was decidedly mundane, Kei decided. Plain, uneventful, and achingly human. From how Yama spoke, it seemed that most humans were without magic at best and fearful of it at worst. It was all exactly as the books said, humans were primitive, uneducated beings with no respect to nature or the gifts it bestows.

Except for Yama, who seemed to possess an unusual understanding of that which ran through the blood of the fair folk. The human had no knowledge of magic himself, of course, but had somehow imbued it into the foods he made. Kei almost asked Yama how he made his sweets and honey the way he did but decided against it, too prideful to admit not knowing something.

Eventually, tired of Yama's mundane stories, Kei started to offer details from his own, significantly more interesting, life. Not anything too special, he was not so stupid as to let this man in on fae secrets, but stores of Akiteru and his excellence were safe enough. Kei never mentioned Akiteru by name, that would be stupid, but Yama was bright enough to figure out that Kei was speaking of his brother. Unsurprisingly, Yama was far more interested in tales from Kei's life than he was in his own. And why shouldn't he be, Kei thought, the realm of the fae was far superior to the droll life of humans. And so the conversation went. Kei, sitting in the faerie circle and speaking of his grand life, and Yama, settled right outside the ring, clinging onto every word and occasionally adding commentary of his own.

Strangely enough, Kei could almost feel the forest approve of Yama. Birds and prey and predators alike passed by the human without a care, when they would usually refuse to even show face. The toadstools in the ring practically glowed with health, now fully healed by Yama's honey. The trees and bushes too, seemed to enjoy Yama's presence, their branches brushing the human boy gently with the help of the wind. It was not very often that the forest treated someone so kindly after so little time, let alone a human. There were even some fae who would get lost and tricked by the woods, despite spending their lives there.

Who was Kei to argue with his home; if the forest welcomed Yama, then maybe Kei could learn to tolerate him. The boy seemed harmless, and Kei had a sneaking suspicion that he could learn from Yama, even if the boy was too clever to hand over his name.

The two only noticed nightfall when the moon was high in the sky, and the more magical plants of the forest started to glow. It would be dangerous for Yama to stay any longer than he already had, and both boys knew it. The forest sang in an eerie warning, owls hooting their worries to Kei while the frogs and toads trilled out their melody. As much as the forest seemed to like Yama, it was time for him to leave.

Said boy slowly rose and brushed dirt and leaves off his trousers, preparing himself to walk back home. He turned to Kei and shakily spoke, "Will, Uhm, can I expect to see you tomorrow as well, Tsukki-san?'

Kei contemplated, the boy's company wasn't entirely unpleasant: perhaps it could even have been considered enjoyable. Kei sighed in resignation, "Keep bringing food... And forget the honorifics," he was always going to lose the battle for friendship anyway.

Yama's entire being lit up as he vibrated with sheer elation. Kei couldn't help but stare at the human's eyes, which despite their brown color, shone brighter than all the stars in the night sky. The sight was almost beautiful, almost. Kei knew better than to think that the brilliance of this human was anything other than a passing light trick. Yama, finally packed up and ready to head out, turned back to the path and sent one final wave to Kei for the night. "This was fun! I think we are to become the best of friends, Tsukki!"

Kei huffed, but replied with a minuscule smile of his own, "I will see you tomorrow, Yama".


	4. Of Close Friends and Ill-Kept Secrets

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyo! Just a heads up, things get a little heavy in this chapter. There are mentions of child abuse and while I didn't dwell on it for long, and things aren't gra[phic at all, they're still there and I don't want to harm anyone. The section will be marked off with asterisks (**** These thingies) stay safe and comfortable! Also, note how Tadashi's friendship with Kei starts off as something akin to hero worship, I just think that that's kind of how it started in canon too. Anywhoo, enjoy the new chapter!!

After finally managing to befriend the wonderful moon-like fae, Tadashi was walking on air. He finally had a friend and a real one at that. Tsukki had no social status to gain by tricking Tadashi, and the faerie knew that Tadashi was too smart to be tricked anyway. Which meant Tsukki had a genuine interest in befriending Tadashi. He couldn't be happier.

In the year following the new friendship, life in the village did not change much for Tadashi. Adults still whispered when they thought he wasn't listening, children and teens still hassled him, but their words seemed to hurt less. As long as Tsukki was in Tadashi's corner, he had nothing to worry about. If worst came to worst, after all, Tsukki would protect him.

The prospect of being half-faerie didn't bother Tadashi much anymore either. After all, that would mean he was like Tsukki, if only partly. Anything that was like Tsukki, or that Tsukki liked was incredible, if just by the transitive property. Tsukki was amazing; a pillar of everything Tadashi wished he could be wrapped up neatly into one person.

Aside from his slightly improved confidence, Tadashi learned many exciting things from Tsukki. The fair folk knew healing and medicine better than anyone, and with Tsukki's help, Tadashi learned enough about natural medicine to rival his own father.

Not that Tadashi was the only one to gain from the friendship. Tadashi rather liked to believe that their situation was mutually beneficial and that he helped Tsukki in at least some ways. Mostly in terms of socializing, as Tsukki had admitted to having trouble interacting with other faeries his age. So that was their situation; Tsukki taught Tadashi about nature's magic, and Tadashi taught Tsukki about friendship and the human world. So it became that the two boys were inseparable as long as they were both in the forest. As wonderful as Tsukki was, Tadashi still had to keep him a secret. His father, ever paranoid and hostile, was likely to flay Tadashi alive if his secret friendship was discovered. Tadashi, however, was never known for his ability to keep secrets.

Two years into their friendship, just after Tsukki's tenth birthday, Tadashi made the mistake of mentioning the forest. It was an offhand comment, a casual mention of the quality of the herbs that grew close to the border of the fae realm. But one slip-up was enough, and Tadashi's father was livid.

******

"You've been wandering around that cursed forest again, haven't you!" the man growled, eyes alight with the fear and rage of a wild beast. When Tadashi said nothing, his father grabbed him and shook him, hard. "Haven't you!" He shouted again.

Panic and bile started to well up in Tadashi's throat as he tried to speak, "Y-yes, father. Bu-but I, I-"

A harsh crack rang out in the cottage as Tadashi's face stung and burned. Tears of fear and pain ran freely down Tadashi's grimy cheeks as his father stood before him, clutching his belt menacingly. "You're just like your whore mother, always out in those blasted woods. You're a worthless weakling, just like her. I wish those creatures had taken you instead. Believe me when I tell you I would feel no remorse and will feel no remorse when I have to drive an iron stake through your useless heart." Tadashi had started sobbing, the pain from the blow and his father's harsh words shattering his spirit. But his father continued with his tirade, "You think I don't hear what the village says about you? Oh, how I wish it was true that you were some horrendous faerie child. Maybe it is true, and you are too weak and worthless for even those wretches." Tadashi's father was no longer looking at him, instead staring off into nothing and ranting angrily into empty space.

Tadashi took the chance to scamper up to his room and buried himself in his thin, scratchy blanket. There he sobbed more, body shaking, and curled up into a ball. Still, he tried to stay silent, not wanting to incite more violence from his father.

*****

By the time Tadashi managed to gain control over his tears, the moon was high in the sky. He had missed his daily meeting with Tsukki for the first time. The thought did not sit well with him, and against better judgment, Tadashi contemplated going into the forest anyway. While he was technically the reason for the scolding, Tsukki was also Tadash's primary source of comfort. Ostracized from both the town children and his father, Tadashi really only had Tukki to rely on. So, in the dead of the night, when the forest was at its most dangerous, Tadashi snuck out of his home and headed towards the faerie ring.

The forest was different at night, Tadashi realized. The path was hard to follow and even harder to find when he lost track of it. The deer, bunnies, and songbirds that were active in the daytime had been replaced by haunting owls, sly foxes, and hares that stared into Tadashi's very soul. Even the plants seemed more menacing, casting strange shadows and brushing his ankles when he least expected it.  
Somehow, Tadashi made it to the circle, unsurprisingly void of Tsukki. Tadashi didn't know why he thought Tsukki might be there in the middle of the night, but he drew closer to the ring regardless. A great tiredness came over Tadashi, both from the emotional and physical exhaustion of the day. Without properly thinking, Tadashi sullenly stepped into the faerie ring and proceeded to weep for the second time that day.

Only minutes after he started crying, however, Tadashi felt comfort. In his distress, he had failed to notice that his head had been gently moved onto someone's lap and that a pair of hands were carding through his tangled hair. Tadashi almost didn't want to look up, maybe he could pretend that this comforting stranger was Tsukki or his mother, here to erase his pain. But alas, Tadashi was not so stupid as to think Tsukki was the only fae to frequent the ring. So slowly, whilst trying to think of a reason for the fae to not smite him, Tadashi raised his head.

Instead of a wrathful being, however, Tadashi looked into warm honey-gold eyes that shone with worry and confusion. Tsukki had come to comfort him. Relief and fondness overflowed in Tadashi as he clung to his friend and released all the pain he had kept bottled up. Tsukki kept quiet and simply held Tadashi, allowing him the moment of weakness.

When Tadashi had somewhat calmed down, Tsukki's silken shirt was soaked with tears. After sitting in tense silence for a few minutes, Tsukki finally spoke.

"You didn't show up at our usual time today. I-" Tsukki paused and scrunched his nose, a habit that Tadashi knew indicated Tsukki was struggling with his words. Having come up with what he wanted to say, Tsukki continued, "I assume that the cause of your tears is the same reason for your tardiness?" If Tadashi had not known any better, Tsukki's words would have seemed cold and uncaring. But Tadashi knew that Tsukki was worried for him.

Tadashi nodded and took in a deep breath of the cold night air, readying himself for the explanation he was about to give. His father had never given him any of the answers he needed, nor had any of the other people from the village. Maybe it was time to see if the fae had any answers.

So Tadashi told Tsukki everything. He spoke of his mother and how she died when he was a baby. He spoke of the village peoples' cruel speculations, of the horrid insults thrown at him by his peers, and the hushed whispers of the adults. Tadashi told Tsukki everything, from the constant bullying to his father's neglect. And finally, he told Tsukki of the painful words his father had thrown at him, and of the reason behind the large red welt on his face. It was the first time Tadashi's father had hit him, but he now feared that it wouldn't be the last.

Tsukki sat through all of it, taking in and absorbing Tadashi's words. The faerie didn't move from his position by Tadashi's side, but his fists clenched tighter as Tadashi spoke. When the whole of Tadashi's woes had placed out into the open, Tsukki's eyes were narrowed to near slits, and he bore a menacing sneer.

Tadashi turned to Tsukki, worrying his lower lip and wringing his hands, "Am I really that useless, Tsukki?" The question was nothing more than a hushed whisper, but it rang throughout the forested space nonetheless.

In an instant, Tsukki had grabbed Tadashi's shoulders and forced him into determined eye contact. "You are not useless, Yama. Those people in your town are just blind. Besides, what reason is there to shame someone with fae lineage?"

"Nothing, but what if-" Tadashi was interrupted before he could continue his speculation.

"If you were really one of us, we would have gladly welcomed you. My people certainly would not have left you in that horrid village. Your father lies." Tsukki asserted, the confidence and determination in his tone leaving no room for argument.

Tadashi nodded weakly and leaned onto Tsukki. He was tired from everything and did not want to walk all the way back to his turbulent home. Fortunately, Tsukki seemed to notice, and instead of sending Tadashi home, he simply opened his arms for Tadashi to snuggle into. Sleep was starting to pull at Tadashi's eyes, and while it was dangerous to spend nights alone in the forest, Tadashi was not alone. He could wake up in the early morning, but for now, he wanted to rest. For the first time in his memory, Tadashi fell asleep in the safe arms of someone he loved.


	5. Brother Wherefore Art Thou?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahaha!!! You thought the sadness was over!! Well, you were wrong!! Time for me to crush Tsukki's soul! I think you all know what will happen in this chapter, just based on cannon and the title. Enjoy anyways and tell me what you think!! They're still like 10 at this point btw.

The incident with Yama's father had scarred Kei far more than he would have liked to admit. Even after two years of friendship, Kei had not realized how important Yama was to him. Finding the human bruised and defeated in the toadstool ring had only proven that Yama was the most important person to Kei, second only to his brother. His brother, who had patiently and without asking too many questions, walked Kei through the best ways to comfort a distressed human friend.

It was no surprise then, that Kei's admiration and respect for Akiteru had also spilled over to Yama. In the months following the unoriginally named Incident, Yama took an even greater interest in Kei's idyllic family. Not wanting to disappoint his best friend, and not wanting to pass up on a chance to brag about his life, Kei humored him. More often than not, Kei would find himself proudly relaying fantastical stories that his brother had told him. Every day, Akiteru would come back from his adventures and recall them, in brilliant detail, to Kei, who would, in turn, pass them on to Yama.

Whenever Yama seemed to need a break from the toils of his life, or when Kei was feeling exceptionally smug and wanted to brag for a bit, he would launch into tangents about his brother. His brother, who had bravely purified an accursed spring in the far south, slain a cruel dragon from the north that had intended to burn down the forest, and had mastered every form of innate magic and tricked wicked humans into handing over their names so he could make them perform good deeds. That last story was the favorite of both Kei and Yama, for obvious and personal reasons. Eventually, though, Kei grew tired of simply retelling the tales of his brother's glories. He never quite did them justice, as Akiteru was always the better storyteller. One evening, several months after the Incident, Kei finally managed to badger Akiteru into telling his stories in person.

And so began Kei and Yama's second favorite tradition, right after eating ill-gotten sweets together. When he got back from his lengthy travels, Akiteru would go to the circle with Kei and masterfully narrate his adventures. Kei couldn't think of a better way to spend his evenings than with his two absolute favorite people, eating sweets and trading stories. Akiteru's stories also sparked a new discussion topic for the boys. A topic which Kei was both excited and terrified to think of.

"Hey, Tsukki? When you reach the age, will you go on adventures like your brother?" Yama's question came out of nowhere, but it hit Kei just as hard as the snowballs he was forming.

"Of course I will; adventuring is the coolest," replied Kei. He spoke with confidence but knew what Yama really wanted to ask.

"I suppose I won't see as much of you then, when you start traveling," Yama didn't look at Kei as he asked the question, focused instead on making snowballs.

Kei stopped packing snow and thought for a minute, it hadn't fully occurred that adventuring would mean leaving Yama by his lonesome. No one ever said he would have to adventure alone though, and if others could travel in groups then there was nothing to stop Kei from taking Yama with him. Kei decided to pitch the idea of traveling together in the distant future then and there. "Nonsense, if I am to go adventuring then you'll come with me. Human knights do it all the time, so you can too."

The finality of Kei's statement seemed to give Yama pause. Finally, after a tense few minutes, which made Kei think he had been too presumptuous, Yama nodded and tackled Kei into the snow with a hug. In retaliation Kei shoved a handful of snow down Yama's coat, thus starting the snow war they had been preparing for prior to the conversation.

After speaking with Yama, Kei took it upon himself to shadow Akiteru on his adventures. Unfortunately for Kei, his older brother would have none of it. Every time Kei asked to tag along with his brother, even just to observe, Akiteru brushed him off. Every attempt would yield the same comments from Akiteru, 'you're too young,' and 'I'll get nervous if you're there'. Kei took every opportunity he could to grumble his complaints about this development to Yama, who was equally disappointed. Still, though, there were always Akiteru's stories.

To make himself feel better about not being allowed to tag along, Kei started telling his brother's stories to the few fae his age he could begrudgingly call friends. Kageyama and Hinata were not fae that Kei particularly liked. In fact, he mostly hung out with them to make fun of them. Still, though, the hummingbird spirit and ice nymph had somehow wormed their way into Kei's life. Which was why, when Yama wasn't around, Kei turned to bemoan his troubles to his lesser friends. It was through these lesser friends that Kei's perfect perception of his brother began to crack. Kei had only gotten halfway through his brother's latest adventure before Hinata saw it fit to interrupt.

"But that can't be right, the Little Giant just returned from his quest, and that's what he did!" Kei stopped his story to glare at Hinata. There was no way Akiteru hadn't been doing what he said he was, right? Kei was half tempted to tell Hinata that he was wrong, but the hummingbird spirit's obsession with the Little Giant made that near impossible. Instead, he simply scoffed and lectured Hinata about how people could go on similar adventures. It was clear, though, that neither fully believed Kei's words.

Kei still believed his brother's tales, or at least wanted to, but as time went on, he became more wary. So much of Kei's persona had been based on the objective superiority of his brother. Akiteru was everything Kei wanted to be and more. The insinuation that his favorite person was living a lie was more than enough to shake Kei. So, of course, he took the only logical course of action; complaining to Yama.

Yama listened to Kei's worries with the sage wisdom of someone used to being unsure of themself and offered up a solution. "Well, if you want to confirm the truthfulness of your brother's adventures, you should just follow him on his next one."

Kei huffed in exasperated annoyance, "I've already asked to be allowed to watch his journeys, he says no every time. Too worried for my safety, I suppose."

Yama shook his head, "No, I mean follow him without letting him know. Think of it as a... a stealth mission. Yeah, a stealth quest!"

Kei furrowed his brow as he mulled over the idea. Akiteru would be mad if he found out, but then again, if all went well, Akiteru would never know. Kei could choose not to go and could continue blindly believing his brother, but he didn't enjoy being wrong, and now that the idea was in his head, he needed to know. Resolute in his determination, Kei agreed to the plan and, as the early spring breeze blew by, Kei and Yama brainstormed the perfect scheme. They would have to wait a few weeks until Akiteru came back, and Kei found himself restless with excitement. Not only at the prospect of seeing his brother again, but also from the anticipation for the plan to go underway. 

First, Kei would have to convince Akiteru to take a short trip. He had no desire to follow his brother around for weeks on end, after all. Then, once Akiteru was thoroughly convinced, Kei would sneak out and follow his brother from a distance. Kei was rather proud of his stealth skills, he was able to move quicker and quieter than the other children his age, and he knew he could outwit his brother, who always lost the games of hide-and-seek. From then, Kei would simply have to observe the adventure so he could rub it in Hinata's face later. Maybe, just maybe, Akiteru would even be impressed by Kei's skill and would allow him on the next short mission. Nothing could possibly go wrong, and for the first few days, nothing did.

Then, four days into the stealthy journey, Kei's dreams were shattered. Instead of going to check up on the purified springs like he claimed he would, Akiteru stopped at the village on the other side of the forest. There, waiting for him, was a human woman, likely the same age as Akiteru. The woman was dressed in the garb of a warrior, so Kei assumed that she was the first person Akiteru had tricked out of a name. The reality was far, far worse. As Akiteru went up to greet the well-endowed warrior, Kei heard her delightedly squeal one word, Akiteru.

Disappointment and fear instantly welled up in Kei's chest. His brother had never tricked a female warrior out of her name, and judging by the way he disguised himself and entered the village, he clearly had never gone on any adventures. No, instead of relying on tricks and going on grand adventures, Akiteru had traded names with a human woman. Maybe he had even fallen in love with her, their embrace upon meeting sure indicated so. The thought made Kei want to vomit. How? His brother had lied to him. For so long, everything he ever told Kei was lies.

Kei sat in his hiding tree for an entire day, horrified and crushed. He hadn't even realized that a whole day had passed until Akiteru came back with his woman, walking hand in hand into the forest. When the warrior woman called Akieru by his first name again, Kei couldn't help but flinch. In doing so, he lost his footing on the branch and started to fall. The sudden noise attracted the attention of both Akiteru and his human lover, and as Kei fell from the tree he met his brother's eyes. In them, he saw shock, fear, and disappointment. Then Kei's head hit a rock on the ground, and everything went black.  
When he finally woke up, Kei was in the infirmary. Although he knew what he had seen was real, part of him couldn't help but hope it was all a cruel dream. It wasn't, though, and Kei had to sit and listen as his parents explained what Akiteu had been doing all these years. Apparently, Kei was right in assuming the human woman was his brother's lover. When his parents finished their explanation, he finally noticed Akiteru was nowhere to be seen. It was then that he learned that his brother had run off with the woman. Away from the fae world, away from his family, away from everything, never to return. 

Kei wanted to blame the woman for her beauty, Akiteru for falling for it, Yama since he had thought up the plan that led to their exposing, anyone but himself. But deep down, he knew, Kei knew that it was all his fault he would never see his brother again. When he told Yama, the human boy was almost as devastated as Kei.

For the second time that year, Kei and Yama spent the night in the faerie ring. Except that this time it was Kei who was crying.


	6. Love is a New and Wonderful Thing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! My computer crashed again and I've lost about half of my chapters. I had up to chapter 12 finished in my drafts and now they're all gone. :'( At least this chapter didn't get deleted too. I'll do my best to keep up with my posting schedule while also entirely rewriting the second half of the book. Anyway, things are finally starting to get into motion, halfway through the book. I had a lot of fun writing the scenes in this chapter, so I hope you enjoy it!

Tsukki was different after his brother left, quieter, angrier, sadder. To others, the change might not have been obvious. Tsukki was always rather standoffish and more than a little self-aggrandizing, but to Tadashi, the changes were as plain as the freckles that adorned his face. One action, one ill-advised trip, one mistake, was all it took to seemingly shatter Tsukki's confidence.

Tadashi was half afraid that Tsukki would no longer be friends with him. It was, after all, his idea to hold a stealth trip. Tadashi certainly blamed himself, but somehow, by the benevolent will of whatever higher powers existed, Tsukki didn't seem to blame Tadashi. Not for long, anyway. For the first six months or so after the occurrence, things were tense between the two boys. Tsukki was obviously struggling, and Tadashi ached with the need to soothe the pain, but the fae scoffed at and vehemently refused any sort of sympathy. Now, more than ever, weakness was unforgivable to Tsukki. It made Tadshi worry for their friendship.

Things reverted right back to the beginning when Tadashi spent his time talking to an empty faerie ring. Tsukki was there these times, but he was withdrawn. He rarely spoke to Tadashi and, more often than not, left at random times without returning. It all made the freckled boy want to cry, seeing the most important person in his life in such pain whilst refusing help. Luckily, Tsukki did eventually return to some semblance of normal.

He was different still; what was once sarcasm and good-natured ribbing had turned into cynicism and harsh insults, but at heart, Tadashi knew Tsukki was the same. He was a little bit meaner, sure, but never to Tadashi. Instead of glorious stories of his brother's adventures, Tsukki had started to tell tales of his other friend's stupidity. To them, he was mean and snarky, almost to the point of cruelty if his stories were to be believed, but to Tadashi, he was still the same sweet Tsukki. Against all odds and despite the best attempts from the outside world, Tadashi's friendship with Tsukki remained unchanged. They lived in their own bubble, unchanged by time and the pains of growing up. The two of them had changed, but their bond remained firm. And for that, Tadashi was ever grateful.

Despite their best efforts, though, it became harder and harder to meet up. Tadashi spent more and more of his time working at the apothecary as he came of age, and free time was harder to come by. At the same time, Tsukki's time was ever monopolized by his adventure training, a life path fueled entirely by spite and nostalgia. So, as the boys reached the age signifying adulthood, they decided to cut their meetings to once a week. Even then, their bond did not waver. In fact, Tadashi found an aching truth in the effects of absence on the heart. 

While they spent less time together than in their childhood, Tadashi found himself growing more and more fond of Tsukki by the day. Most of the time, Tsukki's presence helmed the forefront of Tadashi's mind. Visits to their faerie ring had always been the best part of the day, but Tadashi had started to find that the time spent at their ring felt more like his real-life than the one in the village did. In fact, he couldn't even recall when he had started to refer to the faerie ring as theirs and not Tsukki's.

For the first few months after Tadashi noticed his change in perspective, he found it concerning. Time not spent with Tsukki seemed blurry and drab, whilst time with him was crystal clear and colorful. Tadashi honestly started to believe that one of the other fae had started following Tsukki to their meetings and had bewitched him. Almost immediately after the thought occurred to him, though, he brushed it off. There was certainly no way Tsukki would ever allow that to happen. With no real reason to feel concerned for his safety, Tadashi decided to think nothing of it. Tsukki had always been a focal point of his life, why should he deem it an issue now? Instead of worrying, Tadashi threw himself ever deeper into his work at the family apothecary and pushed his ever-growing focus on Tsukki aside.

Spending more time at the storefront, of course, also meant interacting with the townsfolk more often, something he previously avoided. Now that he was no longer a child, he found that people were kinder to him. The boys who used to chase him and call him names now frequented the shop to buy salves for cuts and burns acquired in their own apprenticeships. The old women who used to gossip about his conception now marveled over his and his father's medicines.

Perhaps it was because Tadashi was naturally friendly, or perhaps it was because when he started his apprenticeship, the quality of the medicines increased, either way, the whole town was rather enamored with him. He and his father received no apologies, of course, but the townsfolk were noticeably nicer. More importantly, the mothers and older women of the village seemed to think Tadashi a respectable young man to introduce to their daughters.

In all honesty, Tadashi had never thought of the girls in town like that, or any girls for that matter. They were nice, sure, they would always smile at him in the streets and wave from carts, but he had never considered pursuing any of them. He knew other boys had started thinking of the girls differently long ago, at this point, he was numb to the crude and garish comments that his peers made under the illusion of solitude. Tadashi, however, found the thought of wedding a girl rather unpleasant.

Friendship was fine, but he never thought of them in the same way as the other young men around him. In fact, Tadashi couldn't really imagine spending the rest of his life with anyone at all. The only person Tadashi could even imagine in that scenario was Tsukki. Of course, immediately after that thought wormed its way into his head, Tadashi felt a jolt of dread. Surely he didn't think of Tsukki like the other boys thought of girls! No, no, everything was purely platonic, it had to be. Still, once the thought had occurred to him, Tadashi found it increasingly difficult to chase away. On the nights he spent with Tsukki, the concept was particularly invasive.  
It was a warm and muggy evening, the kind that was common in the seasonal limbo between spring and summer, eight years since he and Tsukki had first met. They had now known each other for just as long as they hadn't.

The two sat in the shade of an old wisteria, its gnarled branches spread outward, casting the small pond in the shadow of its flowers. The air was sweet with the smell of the blossoms and thrumming with the sounds of a forest at sunset. The day birds were no longer singing their melodies, and the silence in their wake was filled by insects, cicadas, and crickets joyfully celebrating the setting sun. From their spot under the tree, Tadashi could spot a few fireflies just starting to meander about, not yet blinking.

The two sat in silence, as they sometimes did when gifted with a particularly calm evening. Tsukki, Tadashi knew, liked to listen to the forest and understand what it had to say. Tadashi himself had no such ability to understand the conversations of the wild, but he listened anyway and liked to think that all his time spent in these places had allowed him some sort of attunement to the forest's moods. The forest was happy today, he decided, as none of the creatures' chatterings sounded notably displeased.

There was no breeze to alleviate the waning heat and jostle the wisteria flowers, but petals fell regardless, taking up residence in Tadashi's hair. Lazily, Tadashi tracked the trajectory of another errant bloom and watched as it landed on Tsukki's head. The purple was a nice contrast to Tsukki's silk-yellow hair and looked good on him, as most things did. 

The fae boy had grown into the long-limbed body of his youth. Where once was just skin and bones was now muscle, hardened and refined from several years of training. Now more than ever, Tadashi noticed just how angular his friend was in comparison to him. The muscle definition was a given, but while Tadashi had never fully grown out of his baby-pudge, Tsukki's face had become sharp and defined, elegant in the way only a fae could be. The ethereal black markings framing his face only served to enhance Tsukki's regal looks.

Tadashi was no stranger to thinking Tsukki was attractive, to deny the fact would be to cast away all objectivity, but, after his conversation with the townspeople, he wondered if his thoughts on Tsukki were truly normal. Tadashi had heard how men would soliloquize bout their wives and how the young women would titter over an attractive man's features. As he ruminated on it, his thoughts on Tsukki sounded less like friendly compliments and more like how one would think of their beloved. The thought brought a violent blush to Tadashi's cheeks as he ducked his head to look away from Tsukki, whom he had been staring at.

When he built enough courage to look at Tsukki again, he found the fae looking back at him. The blonde sniggered at Tadashi's slight shock and the poor boy couldn't help but to stare at the way the corners of Tsukki's eyes crinkled when he laughed. Seemingly ready to break the silence, Tsukki began to speak. 

"I'll be done with my training soon, and surely you have grown to outclass your father in your trade. I was thinking... As children, we joked about adventuring together, but with you to heal me, I think it might be a real possibility. I know you despise being confined to just your village, so I want you to adventure with me." Tsukki was smiling as he spoke. Not the mirthful, mocking smiles Tadashi had grown accustomed to, but a real smile, full of hope and excitement. Tsukki was always most beautiful when he really smiled.

Elation and hope coursed through Tadashi's veins at Tsukki's suggestion. They had discussed the idea as children, but Tadashi never truly believed Tsukki would consider taking him along. Tskukki's face grew slightly concerned at the silence, and he nudged Tadashi to bring him out of his reverie.

"Come on, what do you say? Promise you'll adventure with me?" Tsukki held out his hand, ready to shake. Tadashi looked at the outstretched appendage, and then up to the hope in Tsukki's eyes. Humans weren't supposed to make any promises or deals with the fair folk, but this was Tsukki. He could be trusted, and even if the faerie were to somehow gain power over Tadashi from this. He found he didn't much mind, so long as they were together.

All reservations quelled, Tadashi placed his hand into Tsukki's firm grasp, "I promise that I will go adventuring with you someday, Tsukki," and shook.

A slight numbness shot up Tadshi's arm, the kind that happened after lying on a limb for too long. He knew making pacts with the fair folk was dangerous, but couldn't find it in himself to care. The thought of leaving his dingy village someday, of traveling all over the lands with Tsukki, made any consequences worth it. In the span of one evening, Tadashi had finally acknowledged and accepted the strange feelings that had plagued him for months. The pure elation at the thought of spending his life with the fae had proven it, he had fallen in love with Tsukki. Everything about these feelings were forbidden in his home. Men could not love other men, and humans certainly could not love a faerie. Tadashi pondered his confliction on the way back to the village and decided he didn't care. It didn't matter if Tsukki didn't feel the same way, Tadashi didn't ever plan on telling the other. What mattered was that Tadashi loved Tsukki, and even a week spent traveling with the fae would be worth a thousand lifetimes in the town. So long as he got to be with Tsukki he would be happy, and nothing bad could happen while Tsukki was around, because his love for Tsukki made life colorful.

Love was a new feeling, but Tadashi welcomed it with open arms.


	7. Love Was A Long Time Coming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AH! I'm so proud of myself for being able to pull this chapter out even though it got deleted!! The weekly updates are still going to go strong, so don't you worry!! Anyway, enjoy some pining from Tsukki and some character development from his mom! As always, I adore your comments no matter how simple, so let me know what you think!!

Convincing Yama to someday adventure with him was perhaps the greatest moment in Kei's life. Silly pacts as children meant nothing, but now they were almost men, and Yama had made a promise. There was no trickery, no hidden meanings, no carefully worded and deceiving requests. Yama knew how promises worked with the fair folk, and the thought filled Kei's chest with euphoric joy. With Yama there to heal him, to serve as a safe foundation, they would be unstoppable. Life as an adventurer had long lost its luster when Akiteru left, but at the prospect of traveling with Yama, Kei found himself investing a new vigour into his studies.

While others his age tittered with excitement over courtship gifts and handsome faces, Kei's blood thrummed with a newfound thirst for knowledge and progress. If he wanted to make Yama proud and keep him safe, he would have to be the best adventurer out there. Gone were the days of comfortably staying in the middle with lackluster performances instead, Kei climbed the ranks of his peers with a ravenous lust for improvement. Often, Kei found himself consumed with the same drive to succeed as Kageyama and Hinata. The thought of sharing an interest with those single-minded animals almost made Kei curb his ambition, but he had a reason beyond fame for his actions, so clearly, he was still better than them.

Rather unsurprisingly, Yama became Kei's greatest motivation, his reason to extend effort into most things. If it meant he would get to spend more time with the human, Kei would do it without complaint. Perhaps the control Yama had over Kei's actions should have concerned him, others were certainly interested in his change of tune, but if anyone had known both of them they would have seen it as inevitable. Yama was, after all, an exceptionally compelling human. His first friend, his first real connection, when Yama was hurt, he ran to Kei, when Kei's life shattered in front of him, it was Yama who stayed at his side.

Kei was well aware that he had not originally treated Yama well. He hadn't even planned on befriending the human rather, he had sought to trick him and gain power. He had been cold and distant at first and had returned to petulant bitterness after the betrayal of Akiteru. But Yama, delightful, patient, loyal Yama had stayed through it all. Kei did not deserve such a wonderful friend as Yama, and the human deserved much better than Kei, but for as long as Yama would be willing to put up with Kei's attitude, the faerie would stick around. Yama was, after all, the best thing in Kei's life.

Earlier, far earlier, in their friendship, it had been Yama who would bring treats to Kei. Mostly sweets and edile goods, but sometimes human trinkets. And for no other reason than that it might please the human, Kei found himself bringing trinkets and delicacies of his own to their weekly meetings. Sometimes he would bring a pastry or sweet that only the fair folk knew the recipe to, other times, he would gift Yama with finely crafted baubles, animals spun of colorful glass and sunlight, sometimes he could even convince Yama to accept delicate jewelry of precious gems and moonbeams. Each and every time Yama's face would all but glow with happiness, and that alone was worth the effort Kei put into finding and crafting the gifts. It wasn't until his mother brought it up that he noticed how strange his behavior might have appeared to others.

Kei had just finished up his studies and practices with Hinata and Kageyama, he had not invited them but they came anyway, and was rather desperately searching for Yama's latest gift. He found it, not in his sleeping quarters like expected, but held delicately in his mother's hands. She grasped the ribbon lightly in her hands and peered at it with a scrutinizing gaze, turning it over and looking at it from all angles. When she noticed Kei's presence, she turned and gave him the same appraising stare that had been previously focused on the ribbon.

His mother had been quieter since Akiteru had left, sadder for both herself and Kei. It was the fact that Akiteru never came back that had really shattered the family, and behind his mother's curious gaze Kei could see traces of fear and resignation. She smiled a smile filled with warmth, but Kei could tell it hid a sadness. Lightly, his mother stroked the ribbon and spoke.

"You've been coming and going with a lot of gifts recently, dear," It was not a question, just a statement, and yet it was.

Kei shuffled in an uncharacteristically nervous manner, he knew where this conversation was heading, and he did not like it. "I suppose I have, what of it?"

Again his mother smiled, a little happier this time, still sad, but with a kind of amusement. "They're for that human boy of yours, aren't they? Yama, was it?"

Kei found it strange to hear Yama's name be uttered by anyone but him. He was not surprised that his mother knew who Yama was, he had bragged about his new friend to his whole family when they first met, but he was surprised she remembered. His family did not speak of Yama often, outside of Akiteru, none had met him, and when they did, he was almost exclusively referred to as 'Kei's friend' or 'Kei's human'. But his mother had referred to Yama by name, there was no room to back out of the conversation.

"Yama likes them. His village does not have the same fine wares that we do," Kei felt no need to say he was repaying Yama's kindness with gifts, it was a flimsy excuse at best. Deep down, Kei knew why he brought Yama so many fine things and saw no reason to hide it. "I like seeing him happy. And he is happy when he can learn about our people and our things."

Kei's mother handed the ribbon over but motioned for him to take a seat. The conversation was not over, absently, Kei hoped he wouldn't wind up late. They both sat, and silence enveloped the two.

Kei's mother twisted her wedding ring and tentatively restarted the conversation. "I'm sure he has ribbons in his human town. Why bring him this one?"

The question was a trap, and Kei knew it. He had put much time and effort into crafting a ribbon of pure starlight that would never get tangled or come undone. It was an excessive amount of work to put in for a simple friendly gift. His mother already knew that, so Kei did not answer. 

His mother sighed and set her hand on top of Kei's clenched fists, cupping them in her own soft hands. She stroked Kei's hands, and Kei kept his eyes focused on the winding white patterns that adorned his mother's arms.

"Don't run away from your father and I like Akiteru did," she squeezed Kei's hands and continued, "Neither of us cares that he is human, or that he is not from here. We want you to be happy." The unspoken 'I don't want to lose you too' hung in the air, desperate and pleading.

Kei got up and nodded, "I know. I am not Akiteru, mother. I am not ashamed of Yama."

With the simple utterance, all of the tension left his mother's body as she let out a heaving, relieved sigh and slumped in her chair. Her eyes glistened with unshed pride as she stood up and hugged her son. Kei did not recede from the affection as he normally would, but returned it and stooped down to kiss his mother's forehead. When he was finally released from the embrace, he headed out to where he knew Yama would be.

As he walked along the familiar path, Kei mulled over the conversation. It had not occurred to him until then that he might feel something stronger for Yama than just friendship. It had been a shock, yet simultaneously not, that his mother would suggest that he might run away with Yama as Akiteru had with his human. The notion was at once ridiculous and entirely possible. If Yama were to just ask him, or if his parents had held any resentment towards humans, Kei would leave in a heartbeat. Was this how Akiteru had felt?

The melodious chirping of birds broke Kei out of his thoughts. As they sang and flitted about in the air, they told Kei that Yama was already waiting by the wisteria. The birds also sang to hurry, they didn't want to keep Yama waiting. The birds absolutely adored Yama, most of the forest took to the human as if he were a faerie, but the birds loved him most of all. Perhaps not most, Kei was still there, after all. Still, he rushed the rest of the way to the pond where the other was waiting.

And there he was, reclining under the massive wisteria tree and looking like one of the elegant protagonists out of an illustrated novel. The light of the setting sun illuminated Yama, setting his face awash in a soft orange glow. Kei had only noticed it now, but his friend was truly a sight to behold. Yama looked so peaceful, face contentedly raised to the sky, that Kei almost didn't want to disturb him. Almost. The desire to simply bask in Yama's presence overruled the desire to leave him be.

As usual, the human heard him approach. It didn't matter how quietly Kei walked, or how poor human hearing was in comparison to that of the fae, Yama always heard him coming. Yama turned and gave that wonderful smile of his, Kei couldn't help the grin that appeared in return. The two started into their conversation, talking about town gossip and their studies. All the while, the ribbon burned a hole in the back of Kei's mind.

He would tell Yama his true feelings and then give him the ribbon, it would stand for their affection. If Yama felt the same way. So as to minimize potential fallout, Kei also decided he would present the gift at the end of the outing, just in case.

As Yama recounted the village gossip, Kei focused on his voice. Not his words, Kei could care less for the suspected trysts and rendezvous of the various townsfolk, but Yama's melodious voice, warm and sweet like the sunrise on midsummer mornings. Just being in the presence of the other, being able to hear his wonderful voice and see his imperfect beauty, was all Kei wanted out of life.

As he listened to the recounting, Kei ran his fingers through the moss and ferns growing in the shade of the tree, both plants a unique shade of green, a green that was almost but not quite the same as Yama's hair. Kei switched his focus to the tree that the two of them were rested against. The massive trunk, reaching up into the sky with brown bark that could never compare to the rich depth of Yama's eyes. He absently dug his heels into the uncovered soil by the bank of the pond. Soil that the others had once callously compared Yama's freckles to. The humans at the village were wrong though, Yama's freckles were nothing like dirt, they were beautiful. Beautiful like the stars that graced the night sky, beautiful like markings on the fallow deer and their fawns.

Kei realized how often his thoughts reverted to Yama, like a bird flying in the sky yet returning to the same nest year after year. The boy was constantly on his mind, wedged into Kei's thought process like a splinter under the skin. Except, Kei found that he didn't mind this splinter. In fact, he was quite fond of it.

All too soon, the twilight turned into proper darkness. As much as the wild had grown to love him, it still wasn't safe for Yama to stay past dark. With his superior vision, Kei led his Yama back to the human path, accompanied only by the fireflies and the trill of a nightjar. The mushroom ring was, like all other nights, the place where they parted, bade to return by their respective worlds. While Yama turned to leave, Kei steeled his nerves and readied himself to confess.

"Yama, hold on." Kei took hold of the human's delicate wrists as he spoke. "I have something for you."

Yama turned to him and tried to suppress the excitement and hope from showing on his face. He failed. "Yes?"

Kei swept Yama's long hair back from his face with a gentle hand and tied it up neatly with the ribbon he had brought. "You were saying earlier, that your hair got in the way while working. This ribbon will only untie at your command, and it won't knot in your hair."

Yama smiled as Kei finished and tentatively touched where his hair was pulled back " I don't need to cut it now! Thank you, I've always liked it longer like this!"  
Kei lowered his hand from Yama's hair and moved it to caress his cheek, "I know, I like it longer too. You look very lovely."

Neither of them moved, Yama's large doe eyes stared into Kei's, and Kei was frozen with a last moment panic. He had only just remembered the customs of the human world. Men did not love each other there, they could only be with women. To be with another man was surely a crime in Yama's town, or looked down upon at the very least. What if Yama thought less of him for his love? Or worse, what if Yama's village found out? That would surely be the last straw for them; the freckled boy was too different already, Kei did not want Yama to die for his love.

Kei removed his hand from the other's face, "It's getting dark, you should head home before the moon is up."

Yama simply nodded and once again turned to leave, and like a coward Kei let him. It was too risky, confessing. Kei had been acting like a besotted fool and had failed to realize the potential consequences of his actions. No, he would leave his affection undeclared for the time being. He could wait, no matter how long.

Love, after all, was a long time coming, and now that it was here, Kei was never going to let it go.


	8. Don't Look Back

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, you thought we were in the clear! Hah! No fluff for u!! Pls don't hate me. It's for the character development, your honour.

Tadashi should've known better than to think such a delightful evening could last. Usually, he had the clarity to hide Tsukki's gifts before he entered the village. Usually, he knew to take the backroads and not let anyone see him leave the forest. Usually, Tadashi wasn't a massive idiot. Usually.

So enamored was he, with Tsukki's well thought out gifts, with Tsukki's face so close to his, that Tadashi completely forgot that he and Tsukki were never supposed to know each other. A simple mistake, really. A simple mistake that had the misfortune of sending Tadashi's meticulously crafted narrative crashing down around him. Love had made him careless in a time where caution was most needed.

Everyone saw everything. The entire village, they saw him. They saw Tadashi exit the forest, well past nightfall, with a stupidly smitten smile on his face and a fine ribbon in his hair. He could've tried to craft an excuse about a secret lover from another town, but the craftsmanship was too fine to be of human make. Really, what other assumptions could people make?

It only took a few days for the gossip to spread, but the fallout afterward was horrendous. Everyone and their mothers had a different story about what Tadashi had been up to. The fine details, all made up by the town gossips, varied widely, but the broad strokes were still there. The general story went as follows. 

Tadashi had been out late searching for herbs in the forest months before (wrong) and had stumbled across a beautiful woman (also wrong). This woman had offered to show Tadashi the herbs in exchange for a kiss (what?), and he had obliged. What resulted was a summer fling with a Kitsune, who would help Tadashi and gift him things for affection (Who thought of this?). The story had changed from Tadashi walking out of the forest to him stumbling out, disoriented, and heartbroken by a faerie that wanted to consume his soul. The whole thing was ridiculous and borderline amusing.

Unfortunately, Tadashi's father did not agree, a fact he made very clear the next morning. After a long series of arguments and plenty of bruising, truly, a wonderful way to wake up, Tadashi was up and frogmarched to the local priest. The resulting afternoon was nothing short of hell.

The town had gathered in the sanctum for a full inquisition, a quest to purify Tadashi. He spent hours in that accursed chapel, being probed with questions and exorcised. The ordeal lasted hours, with no breaks for food or water. Question after question, accusation after accusation. Throughout the entire mess, despite the stress and pain, it put him under, Tadashi made sure to give out no real information.

Although it brought him pain, the safest option was to agree with the stories of the townsfolk, that he had been duped by a wandering Kitstune and nothing more. But Tadashi knew the truth, and so did his father.

Everything that Tadashi had, things given to him by Tsukki and other personal effects, all of them destroyed. A watch around the village perimeters was kept throughout the night; no one could enter or exit without being seen. Not that Tadashi could've tried to sneak out anyway, not now that his father had him on such a tight leash.

He could not go anywhere without eyes on him, some mistrustful, others concerned for his safety. Tadashi truly didn't know which was worse, his time spent locked in the house, or the watchful eyes of the village. Either way, returning to the forest was nigh impossible.

Summer slowly waned away, its green warmth leading into autumn once again. And as the months passed, Tadashi grew restless. Every day he spent his life in a cage, never alone and never free. The wanderlust that had once been sated by weekly visits to Tsukki now reared its head like the ravenous beast it was. Tadashi wanted to move, to see, to spend time in the beautiful wilds and away from his stifling town. But there was no escape.

Every bone in his body ached for Tsukki, for the forest, for adventure. He craved the freedom and lightheartedness he felt around the faerie. The fluttering in his heart and the glow in his soul that only Tsukki could bring out. Unable to visit him, Tadashi's life grew gray and dour.

He realized too late that his love for medicine had stemmed from a desire to travel with Tsukki. Without the promise of travel, of companionship, of a life with the fae, salves and herbs lost their luster. Each night Tadadhi looked to the moon and ached with his whole heart, a hollow emptiness slowly consuming him and leaving a void in its wake. At some point, he became too tired to even cry.

So this was heartbreak.

Each day the need to move and to see Tsukki, to go places he shouldn't, grew greater. On the outside, Tadashi was sure to act content, even grateful, for the town's intervention. But on the inside, while brewing up salves for the apothecary, he was stewing over escape plans. If he could just make it to the faerie ring, he would be free, Tsukki would protect him from there. He could pack up what few belongings he had and be gone in one night. One night was all it would take for Tadashi to be free to live with the fair folk. It was the perfect plan, save for one catch. If Tadashi was too careless, he could lead to the destruction of the fae kingdom.

So, one fall night, under the cover of a new moon, Tadashi hid in a bush by the town outskirts and weighed his options. Thanks to the town's increased paranoia, a militia stood to watch on all borders, ever militant with few gaps. They would be hard to get by, and Tadashi was awful at sneaking. If he was chased, though, he could still make it to safety; he knew the forest better than any other human in town. Desperate to see Tsukki once more, Tadashi lightly shifted his weight and prepared to dash for the forest. One stray thought, however, turned his blood to stone and froze him in his tracks.

He could make it to the faerie ring and to Tsukki before the guards, yes, but that would lead them straight to the fae kingdom. No matter how well he knew the trees, Tadashi still wouldn't be able to lose the guards in the forest. If anyone saw Tsukki accept and bring Tadashi into the fae realm, war would be inevitable. The village put up with name taking and curses and ill-advised deals because there was an etiquette, rules to acknowledge and follow. If Tadashi was just taken to the fae lands, his people would see it as a kidnapping, a direct assault on their town.

They would rally the neighboring villages and attack the fae forest with the full might of human rage. The forest would be burned, and there would be casualties on both sides. Surely, most of the fae would be killed, but those that survived would ravage the towns. So many innocent lives would be lost, a war between the races could last for decades or longer, and for what? Tadashi's selfish desires? His foolish, unrequited, unnatural, love for one faerie? And what if Tsukki rejected him? What then? So much death for no reason. Even if Tsukki accepted him, would the cost in lives be worth it? Would Tsukki even survive? Would Tadashi?

The death of thousands was not a weight Tadashi was willing to bear. The risk was too great, the reward too self-serving. As much as he loved Tsukki, Tadashi knew he had to push aside his feelings for the sake of others. It was a love doomed from the start, and he had known that. The two of them weren't even supposed to be friends. Tadashi was human, Tsukki was a fae. It was a wonder they had even lasted this long. Tadashi was a fool to think any future with the two of them was conceivable. 

The stars shone brightly in the cloudless sky as Tadashi sat in his bush and pondered the potential consequences of his actions. He loved Tsukki, and wanted so badly to be with him, but was it really worth it to start a war for someone who could never love him back? With a heavy heart and steeled resignation, Tadashi decided that no, it was not worth it. He would only end up ruining everything they loved, and while Tadashi was willing to die for Tsukki, the other wouldn't feel the same.

He took one last glance at the forest and thought of all the memories that he had made there. The pain and betrayal he and Tsukki had suffered through in the safety of the mushroom ring, the simple delight of snow fights and ice skating in the winter, watching the baby animals and searching for flowers in the spring, falling in love over their last summer. Tadashi's best memories were in the forest, and he wouldn't trade them for the world, but perhaps it was time to move on. He couldn't stay a child forever, and time in the forest seemed to only encourage his youthful naivete. It was time to grow up and live in the human world, where he belonged.  
Slowly, solemnly, Tadashi slipped back to the main roads of the village, and slunk into the house he grew up in. The lifeless wood walls filled him with comfort, and the boorish snores of his wretched father in the room across the hall didn't make him feel safe in the same way Tsukki did, but this was where home needed to be.

No more talking to the trees and birds, no more flower crowns, no more fanciful dreams with Tsukki. It was about time Tadashi accepted his place in life. He was not meant for grand and magical adventures; his human feet were never meant to tarnish the purity of the faerie realm. Maybe things were better this way; at least he wouldn't have to see Tsukki's face when he left.

He would miss the fae, ever so dearly, but it was time to put this love behind him. Tsukki was a wonderful first love, but that was how he should remain. Soon he would be a memory from younger years to look back fondly on, and nothing more.

As Tadashi climbed into his scratchy bed, he took a look at the moonless sky and gave his last farewell to the wind and the wilds of his youth.

"Goodbye, Tsukki. I'm glad I got to love you, it's something I'll always remember."


End file.
